Compare and Contrast: Capital One 360 to Dezurik

Company OverviewFrom an operations management perspective, we compared and contrasted Capital One 360 to Dezurik. We looked at many different aspects of both businesses in relation to various operational and business elements. We conclude that both corporations have significant differences based on manufacturing versus service operations. Dezurik is a pure manufacturing company, which was founded in 1928, while Capital One 360 is a pure service company that was founded in 2013. Dezurik designs and manufactures valves for use in commercial and residential applications. Capital One 360 provides online banking options to consumers in the United States.Topics CoveredOur goal in this business report is to compare and contrast Capital One 360 and Dezurik based upon the following categories:Service vs Manufacturing contrastBusiness and Operations StrategyProcess Design and Supply Chain, Flow ChartTQM, Jit, Six SigmaKanban, KaizanSWOT AnalysisCapacity PlanningLayout and DesignRecommendations In summary, both companies are making short and long-term adjustments to prepare themselves for the years ahead. By implementing our original  recommendations within each company, they will both become more efficient and effective companies as a whole.Manufacturing often provides services, and services often provide tangible goods. Dezurik is a pure manufacturing company, whereas Capital One 360 is a pure service company. Dezurik designs, develops, and manufactures tangible products that are valves and inventories them inside their manufacturing facility. Dezuriks plant equipment is used solely for the production of their valves and related products. The dezurik manufacturing company has low customer contact and a longer customer response time. In contrast to Dezuriks pure manufacturing company, Capital One 360’s pure service corporation handles their business much differently.Capital One 360 has intangible products that cannot be inventoried. Capital one 360 has high custo mer contact and can be reached 24/7. They offer many different ways to service customers such as in their cafes, calling and talking to a real capital one associate, blogging, and also offer a mobile app. The cafà © allows customers to interact with Capital One 360 employees and the employees working behind the counter are educated in their business. Capital One 360 has a short response time; customers can go online to access their accounts which saves them time and money. They are also labor intensive and have around 450 associates working in their St. Cloud office.Although Dezurik and Capital One 360 differ in terms of service vs manufacturing, they share many similarities. Both corporations use technology. Dezurik uses modern up-to-date technology in the machines they use to manufacture valves, as well as in their 3-D solid modeling of valve parts and assemblies. Capital One 360 also uses technology by offering services over the web, phone, ATM or by mail. Both companies have qu ality, productivity, and response issues that must be dealt with on a daily basis to maintain customer satisfaction. Both companies must have forecast demand and each will have capacity, layout and location issues.Both Dezurik and Capital One 360 have business and operations strategies in place to ensure success in their respective businesses. Dezurik has a strategy of giving their customers high quality products that will withstand the test of time.   Capital One 360 wants to give the consumer an easy to use product that is incredibly efficient and environmentally friendly. Both companies have  strategies that are similar, while others are completely different from each other. Dezurik, being a pure manufacturing company, needs to focus more of their work on their manufacturing process.In order to produce the valves they need, they must regulate their supply to correlate with their demand. This can be shown in their manufacturing process. Dezurik has some valves that they are ma ss producing all of the time. They also are able to take on project builds for custom sizes and designs. These are two different segments of Dezurik which require two different business strategies. The first strategy that Dezurik has is to be continuously producing their standard size valves. This is a fairly straight forward operations strategy. Keep up with the demand for the valves, and at the same time maintain an efficient product assembly line. The second strategy has to do with their special product order segment. They do this in several different ways.The first is to complete the projects in house, which shares the same as the previous strategy. The second strategy is to have one of their teams build and complete their projects on site. This typically happens when they work on a project with components that are too big to build in house. The business strategy for Dezurik is much different. They want to become the largest producer of valves in the world. They do this by outso urcing some of their components to China, which brings down production costs. They also need to be certified to be sold in other countries around the world. They are trying to expand internationally and build up partnerships and relationships with governments and companies from around the world. In order to keep these relationships intact, Dezurik has a full time service team that travels around the world to ensure that their products are working correctly and that they have satisfied customers.Capital One 360 shares some similarities with Dezurik in their business strategies, but is completely different with their operations strategies. To begin, Capital One 360 is a pure service company. They have around the clock customer service to provide help and services to their customers. This is similar to Dezurik, but on a much larger scale. Since Capital One 360 has no physical locations, they need a much larger service department to help satisfy the demands of their customers. Their ser vice department does differ in that they do not need to travel around the world to help their customers, rather they can do it all from their computer with just a few clicks of the mouse.Capital One  360 has a unique business strategy for the banking industry. All of their banking business is done online. This means they have no physical banks. Also, all the money they have is virtual. This means they will need a large technical service department to help keep everything that is online, sorted out. Their operations strategies are different from Dezurik in several ways. First, Capital One 360 does everything online. They do have a sale department, but they never have to leave their cubicle to make a sale. This is different than Dezurik who may have to send their sales person out to a job site in order to ensure that the product they receive will be correct.While these two companies do share business strategies, their operational strategies do tend to be further apart from each othe r. Dezuriks process design supports product manufacturability and defines their product characteristics of appearance, materials, dimensions, and performance standards. Dezurik’s process design starts with the idea that customers need better valves. Dezurik uses a hands-on philosophy that begins with design. They then use modern computer aided design systems to construct 3-D models of valves and assemblies. From here, the models are transferred to an area where stress tests are performed on the models. The final step in Dezurik’s process design is continually analyzing and adding safety factors to the models to ensure long-term reliability.The flow chart inside Dezurik’s manufacturing facility starts at the loading docks. Here, ready to go shipments of valves are placed. As you enter further into the facility, the size of the valves placed in inventory decrease from 72 ’’all the way down to 3’’. This ensures that heavier and harder to move valves are placed closer to the loading dock to improve efficiency. Dezurik also uses intermittent operations, which means they produce a variety of products in lower volumes. Intermittent operations are used because different valves have different processing needs. This causes the workers to perform different tasks, and during the tour we learned that some workers switched stations on a daily basis. Dezurik has multiple buyers who want different specifications for every valve they receive.This creates a batch process within the manufacturing facility allowing Dezurik to separate one customers order from another customers order. Dezurik’s designing process and consideration consists of make-to-order strategy. Moving away from Dezurik and into Capital One 360, there is contrast in the design of services that  Capital One 360 has vs Dezurik’s design of goods. Capital One 360’s service design is unique in that the service and entire service concept are bein g designed. However, they are similar in which product and service design must match the need and preferences of the targeted customer group. Capital One 360’s flow chart differs from Dezuriks flow chart. Capital One 360 does not flow from one end of the building to the other in a line; instead they have different floors within their building where they communicate back and forth.This creates a batch process where each floor is a batch working on a different project then the other floors. This is also called intermittent operations where Capital One’s resources are grouped together by function. The overall efficiency at Capital One 360 is around 65%. Both Capital One 360 and Dezurik have Total Quality Management plans in place to help ensure that their customers get the products and services that they want. Capital One 360 has different banking plans that have been developed to help cover a wide range of customers. Basically, they have standardized their products to he lp ensure efficiency and to keep costs lower.Dezurik on the other hand, has many different products and services that can be produced based on what the customer wants. This may not be as efficient, but it gives them the advantage in securing business that cannot be obtained by companies that incorporate standardization. Dezurik also does a ton of product testing to ensure that the customer is getting a product that is guaranteed to last a long time. Capital One 360 and Dezurik also work with JIT. Just In time production can be shown more effectively in Dezurik since it is a pure manufacturing company. They use a pull system for production which causes them to have an inventory of their products. They can increase or decrease their production of certain models based upon forecasting.Capital One 360 does not focus as much on Just-in-Time manufacturing, rather they spend more of their time using TQM and respect for people. Since they are purely a service company, They are constantly wo rking with people to ensure that they have an enjoyable experience banking with Capital One 360. If Capital One 360 doesn’t respect their customers, it would be extremely easy for their customers to take their business to another bank. Like Capital One360, they also need to focus on TQM. They need to constantly be updating their products and services to give the customer want they want. They need to be surveying and working with their customers all the time to help them  develop effective strategies in the online banking world.Capital One 360 does focus a lot on Six Sigma. They have people in house that are constantly working to help make the company more efficient and effective. Basically, there are only four defects per million opportunities. This forces Capital One 360 to run incredibly lean. A few ways they do this is by going completely paperless. This saves a ton of money, as well as paper. Another way Six Sigma has been useful to Capital One 360 is in processing time . They have reduced the amount of time it takes to pull up and process a customer when they are on a service call. This is critical because the faster they can make their customer service process, the faster they can help more people. By doing some serious improvements to Capital One 360, they have become incredibly lean and efficient. This is different than Dezurik.They can’t run Six Sigma because they take on custom jobs. These can be made more efficient, but to run a whole company Six Sigma test just is not practical.Dezurik follows Kaizen, continuous improvement, which requires the company to continually strive to get better at manufacturing valves through learning and problem solving. One way they comply to Kaizen is in their testing room, where they test their valves to see where any improvement can be made. Dezurik uses a pull system where communication is made possible through the use of kanban cards. These kanban cards consist of the product name, the part number, an d the quantity that needs to be produced. The kanban cards are attached to a group of Dezurik’s products.When the employees need products from a preceding workstation, they pass the kanban to that station. This kanban authorizes the worker at the preceding station to produce the amount of goods specified on the kanban. These kanban cards are placed in visible areas for everyone to see. There are as many kanban cards in the system as there are batches of products or valves. This allows Dezurik to continually improve the efficiency of their system. In contrast, Capital One 360 does not have kanban cards, but they do follow the Kaizen approach of continuous improvement. Capital One 360 is constantly trying to help their customers save time and money. They are doing this in part by offering simple financial products such as giving fee-free checking and savings that they can access from their own computers. They are also continually trying  to find ways to outpace and outperform their competitors.This approach forces Capital One 360 to continually improve their business functions in order to get a step ahead of competitors. Layout and design for Both companies is incredibly different. Dezurik, being a pure manufacturing company, has their main office, and they also have a large warehouse where they manufacture their valves. The front office of Dezurik is rather old. This works for them because they don’t necessarily need to keep up with the newest, up-to-date technology to make their valves. Instead of investing money into their office, they have spent more of their money investing into newer, more efficient machines in their warehouse. They have also changed some of their design to allow for a more efficient production process. They run a pull process at Dezurik. At one end of the plant, they take in all of their supplies.The supplies then get put into an inventory rack until they are needed. The supplies are then distributed throughout the factory to where they are assembled. The first area you walk into from the supply area is where all of the standardized valves are made. They have multiple stations where one person is running about four machines constantly. These are very efficient. This is because they have outsourced the production of their standard valves to China for manufacturing. The next segment of the plant is made up of several assembly lines that produce other varieties of products. The other side of the warehouse is where all of the large valves are made. They are made here because they typically are too large to be moved across the entire plant. This end of the warehouse is also where their products get painted.The paint booths are strategically placed at the end of the assembly lines so that as soon as the products are manufactured, they can be painted. They then get sent off to testing. All the valves they make are tested to ensure that the product can withstand the pressures of daily use for years. After th e products are tested, they are either loaded onto trucks and sent off, or put into the warehouse until they are needed. Capital One 360 has a completely different layout than Dezurik. To start out, They are in a very modern building located right in the middle of downtown St. Cloud. When walking in the door of Capital One 360, the first thing you will notice is that you are in an ultra-modern cafà ©. Since Capital One 360 doesn’t have physical banking locations, the cafes are the closest thing that people can get.These cafes are not just for a cup of  coffee either, the people who work at these cafes are a highly knowledgeable sales associate who can make you a latte and sell you a checking account at the same time. This is for people who are either curious, or just not as comfortable with starting a new bank account online. Once past the cafà ©, Capital One 360 pretty much looks like almost every other office building except for a few key features. The first is that All the departments are located separate from each other. Sales is located on one floor, while fraud protection is located on another floor. Capital One 360 also has an interesting layout design. The cubicles are very different from your traditional office building.To start, they run diagonally across the entire floor. They also are much shorter than a normal cubicle. This is so people can locate each other without having to walk across the office to find out they are not there. They also are not enclosed. This promotes an open workspace that allows people to communicate information quickly and efficiently. Another interesting aspect is that they only have about 60 percent of their office filled with employees. This is so that they can grow and add on employees at any time. The new employees can start and have their own functional workspace instantly.Capital One 360 also has a central command area located right in the middle of the office. This is where security works. Also this comman d center has TV monitors that are linked up with their other offices around the country. This feature is so they all can be working together with their offices all around the country. If something happens at their Delaware office, they can get it verified by their office in St. Cloud.Capacity planning within Capital One 360 and Dezurik are decisions that depend tremendously upon forecasts of demand. These forecasts determine the size of current and future capacity needs. Capital One 360 recently put their capacity planning into effect when they purchased ING Direct and moved into a new building downtown St. Cloud. Capital One 360 made the choice to expand now enabling it to meet customer demand not only for now, but also in the future. If Capital One 360 planned its capacity incorrectly, they may find that they don’t have enough output capability to meet customer demands, or has too much capacity sitting idle. Capital One 360’s move into the new building required long- term commitments and expensive resources.This move  of purchasing a new building came in anticipation of greater demand from their customers. To measure Capital One 360’s capacity, you need the amount of available capacity and the effectiveness of capacity use. From our tour of Capital One 360, we determined that their capacity was operating at an efficient level. When examining Dezurik’s capacity planning, we looked at their recent expansion. In 2011, Dezurik acquired two water and wastewater brands and then in 2012 Dezurik acquired a valve company. This tells us that Dezurik is expanding to meet customer demands in the future. These recent acquires to Dezurik increases capacity and allows them to meet customer demands as well as sales.We can reasonably measure Dezurik’s capacity by measuring their input, which is labor hours, with their output, which are valves per shift. However this is not a very effective method to measure capacity because Dezurik produce s many types of valves. We believe that Dezurik is having success because of its focused factory that responds more efficiently to demand. In todays’ world, large factories need to be more flexible and focused, and from the tour, we believe Dezurik is doing a good job of staying agile within the industry.This will help Dezurik identify long-term capacity requirements in their forecasts of future demand. In Dezuriks planning for capacity, they have strategic and tactical decisions. Their strategic decisions consist of what investments in new machines and equipment it should make, and by the looks of it, they are investing in new machines that increase automation and decrease manual labor. Their tactical decisions consist of planning their workforce, inventories, and day-to-day use of machines. From the tour, we learned that some of the new machines run 24 hours a day. Dezurik and Capital One 360 have similarities in their capacity planning, that being that they are both prepar ing for long-term and high customer demands in the future.Let’s look at some of the strengths of Dezurik. The first strength is that they make a high quality product. Also, they have a very efficient production process for their standardized products. Another pro for Dezurik is they are working hard to become more efficient. They are implementing all sorts of new machines to help speed up and improve the manufacturing process. There are multiple weaknesses that plague Dezurik. To start, they are not an efficient company. This is mainly due to the poor layout of their production area.A second weakness is that they have begun to outsource some of their products to  China. This can be a negative because if they get a bad shipment, it can take over 6 weeks to be corrected. This could become a huge problem if they get the wrong product sent multiple times. There are a few opportunities that Dezurik can expand into. For starters, they are putting in a new paint booth. This will h elp cut down on time. Before, they outsourced their paint of some products to a place in Alexandria. This means that the product had to leave and come back before it can be shipped out.They are also making their assembly line more efficient which will really help them improve the speed at which they can produce valves. Dezurik does have some threats that they have to deal with looking into the future. The biggest threat will be imports from China and other places. These places have very low labor costs, and they also don’t have the same environmental regulations that we do. This means that they are able to produce similar products at a much cheaper price. The only flaw is that these products also tend to be of a much lower quality. This is why Dezurik has not been highly affected by this threat. Capital One 360 has multiple strengths as well. The first is they are incredible efficient.By not using any paper, they are able to cut down on the amount of waste that they have. No physical banks helps to cut down on their carbon footprint too. Second, by utilizing standardization, they are able to run a very lean company. These strengths can also be some of their weaknesses. Having no locations means that people have to do all of their banking online, or over the phone. They cannot go to the bank to talk to a person, rather they have to call into their customer service lines and do all of their problem solving over the phone. There are some opportunities that Capital One 360 has that they are taking advantage of. They are targeting the younger generation. This is because they are appealing to the tech savvy crowd.They younger generation tends to be more familiar with technology. They will be able to expand into this younger generation, and this is where their greatest opportunity will lie. In the world of banking, there are threats all over the place. For starters, all the banks are going to online banking. Most of these banks also have physical locations tha t people can go to when they have questions. Also, you will tend to be more of a number at Capital One 360. At the smaller banks, people will know you by name, and the service will be more  personal. If Capital One 360 can deal with these threats, they will be able to succeed in a threat filled environment.There are a few recommendations that could be made for both Dezurik and Capital One 360. To Start with Dezurik, we would recommend that they make some serious improvements to their factory layout. They should be able to take the supplies right off the truck and instantly put them into production. They could implement a better JIT strategy. They are doing a good job of spreading their business around the world. We would also recommend that Dezurik should go paperless. Its more sustainable, and it would help them to move towards and electronic inventory system. This would speed up their order processing time, and make them more efficient. For Capital One 360, we would recommend th at they begin to open more cafes around the United States.These are a tangible part of Capital One 360 that consumers can actually go. Also, they could provide their users with more banking options. Giving their customers banking options can be key in making them feel like they are more than just a number to Capital One 360.In Conclusion, Both Dezurik and Capital One 360 are both leaders in their respective industries. Dezurik, being a purely manufacturing company, is run completely different from Capital One 360. Being a bank, Capital One focuses their efforts on its services. This means they are more frequently talking to consumers while providing them with a service. Dezurik focuses its efforts on their manufacturing operations. Both companies compare and contrast greatly in relation to various operational elements. Overall, these are two strong companies that are innovative and leading the way in their respective fields.

Constant changes or reforms

Education in Malaysia has gone through extended alterations throughout the old ages. These changeless alterations or ‘reforms ‘ are carried out with possibly merely one vision in head, and that is to better the current bing instruction and acquisition processs in schools and higher establishments of larning. Such action high spots the authorities ‘s endless attempts in seeking to better the quality of instruction for its people. After a decennary into the New Millennium, the instruction scenario is more pressed to set about even more betterments in seeking to get by with the demands and outlooks of instruction in the twenty-first century. We can no longer be satisfied with what we have, but alternatively there is a demand to constantly compare ourselves to that of more developed states, and this is particularly true with the field of instruction. This is to guarantee that our people will be able to vie internationally in this borderless universe. This is really much in-line with the vision of our longest-serving Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad. Tun, back in the 90 ‘s shared his vision and dreams for this state through â€Å" Wawasan 2020 † or Vision 2020. Harmonizing to his article â€Å" Malaysia on Track Vision 2020 † , as a physician he is attracted to the optometrist measuring of Vision 2020 which indicates 100 per centum perfect vision. He farther explains that Vision 2020 in relation to the hereafter of this state would be the quest for Malaya to hold clear vision of our hereafter as in where we want heading and what we want to be in the New Millennium. As Malaysia plans to transform into fully-developed state, instruction becomes the precedence of the authorities since it is one of the most powerful entities that would find the success or failure of the state. The hereafter of any state depends on its people. It is hence of import to guarantee that everyone is equipped with the necessary cognit ion, accomplishments and values to last in this extremely competitory and globalised universe which is impacted by rapid development in scientific discipline, engineering and information. The importance of instruction has become more overriding particularly in our State ‘s procedure of traveling from an economy-based on labour-intensive and lower-end manufactured merchandises to k-economy or knowledge economic system. The Ministry of Education ( MOE ) and The Ministry of Higher Education ( MOHE ) are two organic structures which are responsible in guaranting that state is traveling towards the specified mark. This is clearly outlined in the 2 cardinal pushs under the National mission ( â€Å" Mid-term Review of Ninth † , 2008 ) ; Thrust 2: to raise capacity for cognition and invention and raising foremost category outlook. Thrust 3: to turn to relentless socio-economic inequalities constructively and fruitfully. In line with the thrust towards developing the state ‘s K-Economy, the current economical tendency is to concentrate on the promotion and rise in accent on the country of scientific discipline and engineering. As a step to accomplish this vision, the authorities has adopted a holistic attack in Malayan instruction system by stressing on command cognition, rational capital and developing engineering and entrepreneurial accomplishments. Since scientific discipline and engineering play a major function in lending to a more developed state, the authorities seems to give more accent on instruction and larning procedure of scientific discipline in the primary, secondary and higher instruction. It is consistent with Malaysia ‘s purpose which to bring forth more experts in scientific discipline or in general to bring forth a future coevals of intellectuals. Therefore, as scientific discipline pedagogues, it is of import to be cognizant of the demand of the state. There is a demand to guarantee that the instruction and acquisition procedure is focused in bring forthing persons who fulfill the authorities ‘s aspiration. Hence, it requires instructors to hold passion, creativeness, intelligence and finding to do certain that the bringing of cognition is genuinely effectual. Among other things, methods in instruction, teacher ‘s cognition and public presentations are often being observed to guarantee that instructors remain first-class in their instruction. This is because ; instructors play a major function in guaranting the effectivity and the success of the existent bringing and execution of the Malayan course of study. Therefore, when be aftering a lesson, instructors need to be cognizant of the aims of the course of study by integrating good content values into the lesson, implement the course of study designed by the minis try and at the terminal of it all, assess the results of the course of study. But it is non plenty to concentrate merely on the instructor without looking at the relevance of the Malayan scientific discipline course of study, which really contributes to the success or failure of scientific discipline instruction. In fact, it is really a major issue that is invariably discussed among scientific discipline pedagogues and academicians in Malaysia. Is the Malayan scientific discipline course of study mensurable to that of the criterions of other states? This is pertinent inquiry that needs to be answered. Therefore it would be utile to compare Malayan scientific discipline course of study with other developed states in order to find the criterion of Malayan course of study.1.1 Background of StudyThis comparative survey between the Malaysian scientific discipline course of study and the Steiner Waldorf in scientific discipline course of study was conducted chiefly to derive penetrations on the much-researched and discussed about Steiner course of study. Having experienced the Malayan scientific discipline course of study and after prosecuting an awards ‘ grade in scientific discipline instruction, the research worker is really familiar with the state ‘s scientific discipline instruction course of study, particularly issues refering to its content and pedagogical attack. However, the research worker is with the sentiment that new cognition of new educational course of study can be utile in guaranting better quality of scientific discipline instruction. This is of import in position of supplying the best in scientific discipline in the context of Malayan schools. In position of seeking to better the bing course of study it would be interesting to happen out the criterion of Malayan scientific discipline course of study in comparing to other developed states. This is of import to guarantee that our pupils will be able to vie globally. Comparative survey of course of study across states provides background information about how to understand bing strengths and failings of the present course of study ( Moosa & A ; Che Azura Che An, n.d ) . Therefore, this research can propose ways to assist pupils to execute in the topic of scientific discipline and besides assist scientific discipline instructors in their instruction. This is important as over the past few old ages, there have been a batch of jobs discussed about the Malayan scientific discipline course of study and the major portion of the treatment revolves around the instruction and acquisition procedure. As a consequence, it raised the research worker ‘s involvement to look into the affair so that the research worker could detect ways to better the Malayan scientific discipline course of study in order to make effectual lessons yet in gratifying environment for the pupils to larn scientific discipline. In Malaysia, the thought associated with scientific discipline instruction is intended to be in-line with bing policies which is specifically to fix pupils for scrutiny. There are a few officially recommended patterns for scientific discipline instruction such as constructivist instruction, command acquisition, scientific discipline procedure accomplishments, believing accomplishments, and metacognition, autonomous, self-paced and self-assessed acquisition and others that, if carried out decently can guarantee the successful and effectual lessons. Current thought in scientific discipline is looking towards a paradigm that is more inclusive of the diverseness that exists in our life-worlds ( Revathi, R et Al, 2003 ) . Science is besides perceived as a procedure of meaning-making and states such as the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa ( Aikenhead, 2000 ) are implementing scientific discipline learning attacks that incorporate scholars ‘ cultural and lingual beari ngs. For illustration the scientific discipline schoolroom needs to be one that is interesting and multi-discursive which permits the instructor and pupils to work together in making cognition. However, such an attack or a characteristic is non common in the Malayan scientific discipline course of study. The thought to bring forth a coevals that is ideally competent in scientific discipline seems hard and this seems to propose that there is demand for Malayan scientific discipline course of study to be reviewed. From the aims of the course of study to the issues of appraisal, everything becomes important and needs thorough reevaluation. The characteristics and map of scientific discipline discourse include explicating hypotheses, planing probes, roll uping informations, pulling decisions and pass oning consequences ( Chamot & A ; O'Malley, 1994 ) and these are the accomplishments which are fundamentally being emphasized by the instructor in the schoolroom. Sadly, the application is non obvious in the pupils ‘ day-to-day life particularly in the context of Malaysia. By carry oning this research, the research worker hopes to be able to acquire some penetrations into the Steiner Waldorf course of study and the Malayan scientific discipline course of study. Having done this, it is hoped that the research suggestions may foreground bing spreads in curricular, pedagogical or other facets through comparing between Malayan scientific discipline course of study with Steiner Waldorf instruction. From the suggestions made, hopefully the instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline will be more effectual and more gratifying for the pupils. By holding a good clip in larning scientific discipline through effectual methods employed by the instructor, the research worker believes that it will assist pupils to execute better in all the scientific discipline topics and at the same clip get scientific cognition in a wider position. Apart from that, it will besides assist to bring forth all rounded pupils as outlined in the National Education Philosophy.1. 2 Statement of the ProblemThe Integrated Curriculum for Secondary School ( Kurrikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah, KBSM ) is the continuance of the New Primary School Curriculum ( Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah, KBSR ) . This alteration in the course of study construction is the authorities ‘s scheme to switch the accent of instruction that existed in 1970s to a more modern-day holistic construct of larning that encompasses moral, spiritual, societal, physical, and rational development of a individual ( Rosnani.H, 2004 ) . In scientific discipline instruction, holistic instruction purposes to bring forth pupils who are able to associate the content that they learned in the schoolroom to their day-to-day life. It refers to their ability to utilize scientific thought and processes in a wider context so that it will foreground the effectivity of the KBSM which subscribes to the rules of womb-to-tomb acquisition. After holding informal interviews with a few seniors ‘ instructo rs and talks with scientific discipline instruction background, the research worker found out that Malayan scientific discipline course of study somehow does non back up the holistic instruction as being mentioned and fails to accomplish the intended results. The followers is the sentiment given by the senior lector who was interviewed by the research worker ; â€Å" My intuition is the general population of the pupils does non associate what they learn to everyday state of affairs because many surveies have shown that pupils do non like scientific discipline and they find scientific discipline isolated or make non tie in with them. So we can deduce from that the pupils do non related what they learned nor pattern their scientific attitudes. † ( personal communicating ) This is farther supported by the consequences of Trends in International Math & A ; Science, TIMMS appraisal in scientific discipline taken by Malayan pupils in 2003. The TIMMS appraisal is designed to assist to better pupils ‘ acquisition in math and scientific discipline where the appraisal by and large focuses on the pupils ‘ mathematics and scientific discipline accomplishments. In the appraisal, our pupils scored an norm of 504 which exceeds the international norm of 474 ( Martin et al, 2004 ) and placed Malaysia to be at 19th out of 44 take parting states. The public presentation really is non genuinely impressive if compared to the public presentation of pupils from other developing states in Asia Pacific such as Singapore Chinese-Taipei and Republic of Korea. The line of statement is what are the facets that missing in Malayan pupils since those states secured the top 3 placing and hence have clearly performed better than our pupils. Another interesting penetration which the research worker gathered through informal interviews with the senior instructors and talks, every bit good as his personal experience as a scientific discipline pupil and in-service instructor is the fact that Malayan instruction system gives excessively much focal point on scrutiny. In order to last in the Malayan instruction system, pupils need to stand out in public scrutinies ( UPSR, PMR, SPM ) . Somehow the state of affairs affects learning and larning procedure which is a portion of the course of study. Teachers admitted that the focal point is merely to complete the course of study within the clip allocated by the school disposal. Through informal interviews with the pupils, the research worker besides discovered that pupils think it is easier for them to concentrate and fix themselves for the scrutiny alternatively of prosecuting in meaningful acquisition. The research worker besides found out that because of the demand to complete up the course of study, the lessons were non conducted decently by instructors. Teachers seldom make contemplations on their instruction. Even though the achievement of the aim and acquisition results are the measuring to a successful lesson in Malayan instruction system ; most of the clip, instructors do non hold effort to happen out whether their pupils have really acquired the specified acquisition results. An effectual scientific discipline schoolroom should be able to do pupils believe and treat the cognition received in the schoolroom. Ironically, the scenario does non go on in most Malayan schoolrooms. Because of the scrutiny affair, the research worker believes that instructors tend to pretermit their method in learning scientific discipline. In true fact, a scientific discipline category should be filled with interesting and variable activities so that pupils will bask the category. However, in worl d most science lessons, more frequently than non, are non merely field and dull but besides could kill pupils ‘ exhilaration in larning the topic. This is another concern of the research worker since there is a inclination that the state of affairs mentioned supra could do the pupils to lose involvement in larning scientific discipline. The Steiner Waldorf instruction is similar to the Malayan instruction system in footings of its accent on the development of human existences and in the proviso of holistic instruction. What is different is in footings of the execution and the effectivity of the course of study. Scieffer and Busse ( 2001 ) in their research discovered that the pupils from Steiner school did better than pupils in province school in United States. Other research ( Easton, 1997 ; Oberman, 1997 ; Uhrmacher, 1993b ) besides suggested a positive relationship between Steiner school instruction, larning and pupils accomplishment. Furthermore, research on Steiner instruction besides mentioned about consistence of Steiner pupils public presentation in National trial from 2000 to 2004. Ogletree ( 2000 ) in look intoing the originative ability among the pupils in England, Scotland and Germany through the usage of Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Ability ; found that by and large Steiner school pupils obtained significantly higher creativeness tonss than their province school equals. It really reflects the effectivity of the accent on creativeness in Steiner course of study. Jalinek and Sun ( 2003 ) in research that they conducted which aimed to compare the instruction in Steiner and mainstream schools revealed that, the Steiner kids who tested in logical logical thinking and scientific discipline activity which developed by TIMMS international comparative survey performed better than pupils from other schools. The scientific logical thinking of Steiner school pupils was found to be outstanding. The research suggested that the consequence of the trial is really influenced by the civilization of the Steiner instruction which taught less content to the pupils and the Steiner instruction itself creates less examination force per unit area to the pupils. Indeed, the Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study has its ain alone attack and method which proved to promote effectual larning. Such a state of affairs ceases to be in the Malayan scientific discipline course of study. It is with this job in head that the research worker has decided to ship on this comparative research survey with the hope to pull on some of the best patterns to be incorporated into Malayan schoolroom.1.3 Research AimsThe chief aim of the research is to compare the Malayan instruction and Steiner Waldorf instruction in scientific discipline course of study with regard to objective, content, execution or direction and the appraisal. In comparing both course of studies, the research worker want to happen out the features of Steiner instruction scientific discipline schoolroom and wish to look at their strengths and singularity which is present and seek to see how this is different from the Malayan scientific discipline course of study. From the information gathered, a thorough analysis will be made by the research worker, and the findings of the research could be the footing for the research worker to give suggestions for the improvement of Malayan scientific discipline course of study every bit good as to bridge the spread between these two course of studies.Research QuestionsTwo research inquiries are as follows: What are the features of Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline category? How does the Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study differ from the Malayan Secondary Science Curriculum with regard to their aims, content, implementation/instruction, and evaluation/assessment?1.4 Significance of the StudyThis research aims to look at the Malayan scientific discipline course of study. By making this, it will assist us to hold a clear image of how a course of study maps and at the same clip, it allows us to mensurate the success of the course of study. Many instructors have expressed their discontentedness over current jobs faced by the instructors and pupils in scientific discipline instruction, and the incrimination is normally on the ineffectualness of the course of study. This is an dismaying job as it could impact the figure of pupils who are interested in scientific discipline topics and if this happens, Malaysia will really rock from its attempts to accomplish Vision 2020. This comparative survey of the Malayan scientific discipline course of study and the Steiner scientific discipline course of study is important in recognizing our dreams of bring forthing human existences who know their ability and self-potential. This is the nucleus value stressed in the Steiner Waldorf ‘s course of study which aims to supply scholars with meaningful acquisition and turn them into deep scholar. Steiner Waldorf pupils are encouraged to bring forth originative thoughts and this indirectly nurtures the pupils to be critical minds. Therefore it is really important for the research worker to happen out in what aspects that the Malayan scientific discipline course of study can be improved by accommodating the Steiner Waldorf instruction. Hopefully, the findings of the comparative research will assist to better scientific discipline instruction in Malayan schools.1.5 Research RestrictionsTime restraint is the major restrictions of this research. The research worker b elieves it is ideal to hold longer clip for the research worker to roll up informations sing Steiner Waldorf instruction in United Kingdom, UK. Longer period of survey will able the research worker to make observations in greater deepness and visit more schools to be included in survey. Alternatively of clip restraint, pecuniary is besides one of the restrictions in this research. Since the research was funded by the university, the research worker has to finish the procedure of informations aggregation within the stipulated clip. However, what is done by the research worker is sufficient to hold a general image of the difference between the two course of studies.1.6 Scope of StudyThe focal point of the research is merely to compare the Malayan instruction and Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study. This survey involved informations collected from one school in Plymouth and a Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth. Since this is a preliminary comparative survey of these two course of studies, focal point will briefly highlight the four parts of the course of study which is the aims, contents, execution and the appraisal of both course of studies. However, excess accent will be given on the execution and assessment process as compared to the first two parts in the course of study. Though it would hold been ideal to be able to transport out observation and interviews in more schools across the UK, these two chose are sufficient to give a clear preliminary image of what Steiner Waldorf instruction involves.1.7 Operational DefinitionMalayan scientific discipline course of studyMalayan scientific discipline course of study refers to science course of study which developed and implemented in Malaysia for secondary degree. However, in order to demo the continuance and the development or patterned advance of this course of study the research worker wills erstwhile high spots the scientific discipline course of study at the primary degree.S teiner Waldorf EducationSteiner Waldorf Education refers to the instruction that founded by the Rudolf Steiner in 1919. This instruction is world-wide and does non refers or belong to a specific state. The portion of this instruction that being discourse in this research is its ‘ scientific discipline course of study.Science EducationScience can be defined as â€Å" cognition attained through survey or pattern, † or â€Å" cognition covering general truths of the operation of general Torahs, particularly as obtained and tested through scientific method and concerned with the physical universe. † It may besides mention as a system of geting cognition where the system uses observation and experimentation to depict and explicate about natural phenomena. Science besides term which can mention to the organized organic structure of cognition people has gained utilizing that system. Therefore, the term scientific discipline instruction that been utilizing in this resear ch refers to the procedure of educating scientific discipline to the pupils or may refers to the field of scientific discipline itself. Which the field of scientific discipline in instruction that being discussed in this research covers the major subdivisions in scientific discipline such as biological science, natural philosophies, chemical science, general scientific discipline and natural scientific discipline. Beginning: Webster ‘s New Collegiate Dictionary cited in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sciencemadesimple.com1.8 DecisionAs a decision, ‘review ‘ and ‘reform ‘ in Malayan scientific discipline course of study is necessary or possibly a demand as we refer to the current instruction ‘s status in Malaysia. It has been 53 old ages that Malaysia achieved its independency, and throughout the 53 old ages, Malaysia had gone through tonss of transmutation and alterations. However, the research worker believes that, in order for Malaysia to make to the degree of developed state, instruction should be the foundation of the aspiration. Education in Malaysia requires more alterations every bit good as ideal and realistic policies and execution, so that it will be able to bring forth human capitals that are scientific, knowing and competent.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 5

12 For days thereafter Hari Seldon neglected his departmental duties to use his computer in its news-gathering mode. There were not many computers capable of handling the daily news from twenty-five million worlds. There were a number of them at Imperial headquarters, where they were absolutely necessary. Some of the larger Outer World capitals had them as well, though most were satisfied with hyperconnection to the Central Newspost on Trantor. A computer at an important Mathematics Department could, if it were sufficiently advanced, be modified as an independent news source and Seldon had been careful to do that with his computer. It was, after all, necessary for his work on psychohistory, though the computer's capabilities were carefully ascribed to other, exceedingly plausible reasons. Ideally the computer would report anything that was out of the ordinary on any world of the Empire. A coded and unobtrusive warning light would make itself evident and Seldon could track it down easily. Such a light rarely showed, for the definition of â€Å"out of the ordinary† was tight and intense and dealt with large-scale and rare upheavals. What one did in its absence was to ring in various worlds at random-not all twenty-five million, of course, but some dozens. It was a depressing and even debilitating task, for there were no worlds that didn't have their daily relatively minor catastrophes. A volcanic eruption here, a flood there, an economic collapse of one sort or another yonder, and, of course, riots. There had not been a day in the last thousand years that there had not been riots over something or other on each of a hundred or more different worlds. Naturally such things had to be discounted. One could scarcely worry about riots any more than one could about volcanic eruptions when both were constants on inhabited worlds. Rather, if a day should come in which not one riot was reported anywhere, that might be a sign of something so unusual as to warrant the gravest concern. Concern was what Seldon could not make himself feel. The Outer Worlds, with all their disorders and misfortunes, were like a great ocean on a peaceful day, with a gentle swell and minor heavings-but no more. He found no evidence of any overall situation that clearly showed a decline in the last eight years or even in the last eighty. Yet Demerzel (in Demerzel's absence, Seldon could no longer think of him as Daneel) said the decline was continuing and he had his finger on the Empire's pulse from day to day in ways that Seldon could not duplicate-until such time as he would have the guiding power of psychohistory at his disposal. It could be that the decline was so small that it was unnoticeable till some crucial point was reached-like a domicile that slowly wears out and deteriorates, showing no signs of that deterioration until one night when the roof collapses. When would the roof collapse? That was the problem and Seldon had no answer. And on occasion, Seldon would check on Trantor itself. There, the news was always considerably more substantial. For one thing, Trantor was the most highly populated of all the worlds, with its forty billion people. For another, its eight hundred sectors formed a mini-Empire all its own. For a third, there were the tedious rounds of governmental functions and the doings of the Imperial family to follow. What struck Seldon's eyes, however, was in the Dahl Sector. The elections for the Dahl Sector Council had placed five Joranumites into office. This was the first time, according to the commentary, that Joranumites had achieved sector office. It was not surprising. Dahl was a Joranumite stronghold if any sector was, but Seldon found it a disturbing indication of the progress being made by the demagogue. He ordered a microchip of the item and took it home with him that evening. Raych looked up from his computer as Seldon entered and apparently felt the need to explain himself. â€Å"I'm helping Mom on some reference material she needs,† he said. â€Å"What about your own work?† â€Å"Done, Dad. All done.† â€Å"Good. Look at this.† He showed Raych the chip in his hand before slipping it into the microprojector. Raych glanced at the news item hanging in the air before his eyes and said, â€Å"Yes, I know.† â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Sure. I usually keep track of Dahl. You know, home sector and all.† â€Å"And what do you think about it?† â€Å"I'm not surprised. Are you? The rest of Trantor treats Dahl like dirt. Why shouldn't they go for Joranum's views?† â€Å"Do you go for them also?† â€Å"Well-† Raych twisted his face thoughtfully. â€Å"I got to admit some things he says appeal to me. He says he wants equality for all people. What's wrong with that?† â€Å"Nothing at all-if he means it. If he's sincere. If he isn't just using it as a ploy to get votes.† â€Å"True enough, Dad, but most Dahlites probably figure: What's there to lose? We don't have equality now, though the laws say we do.† â€Å"It's a hard thing to legislate.† â€Å"That's not something to cool you off when you're sweating to death.† Seldon was thinking rapidly. He had been thinking since he had come across this item. He said, â€Å"Raych, you haven't been in Dahl since your mother and I took you out of the sector, have you?† â€Å"Sure I was, when I went with you to Dahl five years ago on your visit there.† â€Å"Yes yes†-Seldon waved a hand in dismissal-â€Å"but that doesn't count. We stayed at an intersector hotel, which was not Dahlite in the least, and, as I recall, Dors never once let you out on the streets alone. After all, you were only fifteen. How would you like to visit Dahl now, alone, in charge of yourself-now that you're fully twenty?† Raych chuckled. â€Å"Mom would never allow that.† â€Å"I don't say that I enjoy the prospect of facing her with it, but I don't intend to ask her permission. The question is: Would you be willing to do this for me?† â€Å"Out of curiosity? Sure. I'd like to see what's happened to the old place.† â€Å"Can you spare the time from your studies?† â€Å"Sure. I'll never miss a week or so. Besides, you can tape the lectures and I'll catch up when I get back. I can get permission. After all, my old man's on the faculty-unless you've been fired, Dad.† â€Å"Not yet. But I'm not thinking of this as a fun vacation.† â€Å"I'd be surprised if you did. I don't think you know what a fun vacation is, Dad. I'm surprised you know the phrase.† â€Å"Don't be impertinent. When you go there, I want you to meet with Laskin Joranum.† Raych looked startled. â€Å"How do I do that? I don't know where he's gonna be.† â€Å"He's going to be in Dahl. He's been asked to speak to the Dahl Sector Council with its new Joranumite members. We'll find out the exact day and you can go a few days earlier.† â€Å"And how do I get to see him, Dad? I don't figure he keeps open house.† â€Å"I don't, either, but I'll leave that up to you. You would have known how to do it when you were twelve. I hope your keen edge hasn't blunted too badly in the intervening years.† Raych smiled. â€Å"I hope not. But suppose I do see him. What then?† â€Å"Well, find out what you can. What's he's really planning. What he's really thinking.† â€Å"Do you really think he's gonna tell me?† â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised if he does. You have the trick of inspiring confidence, you miserable youngster. Let's talk about it.† And so they did. Several times. Seldon's thoughts were painful. He was not sure where all this was leading to, but he dared not consult Yugo Amaryl or Demerzel or (most of all) Dors. They might stop him. They might prove to him that his idea was a poor one and he didn't want that proof. What he planned seemed the only gateway to salvation and he didn't want it blocked. But did the gateway exist at all? Raych was the only one, it seemed to Seldon, who could possibly manage to worm himself into Joranum's confidence, but was Raych the proper tool for the purpose? He was a Dahlite and sympathetic to Joranum. How far could Seldon trust him? Horrible? Raych was his son-and Seldon had never had occasion to mistrust Raych before. 13 If Seldon doubted the efficacy of his notion, if he feared that it might explode matters prematurely or move them desperately in the wrong direction, if he was filled with an agonizing doubt as to whether Raych could be entirely trusted to fulfill his part suitably, he nevertheless had no doubt-no doubt whatever-as to what Dors's reaction would be when presented with the fait accompli. And he was not disappointed-if that was quite the word to express his emotion. Yet, in a manner, he was disappointed, for Dors did not raise her voice in horror as he had somehow thought she would, as he had prepared himself to withstand. But how was he to know? She was not as other women were and he had never seen her truly angry. Perhaps it was not in her to be truly angry-or what he would consider to be truly angry. She was merely cold-eyed and spoke with low-voiced bitter disapproval. â€Å"You sent him to Dahl? Alone?† Very softly. Questioningly. For a moment Seldon quailed at the quiet voice. Then he said firmly, â€Å"I had to. It was necessary.† â€Å"Let me understand. You sent him to that den of thieves, that haunt of assassins, that conglomeration of all that is criminal?† â€Å"Dors! You anger me when you speak like that. I would expect only a bigot to use those stereotypes.† â€Å"You deny that Dahl is as I have described?† â€Å"Of course. There are criminals and slums in Dahl. I know that very well. We both know that. But not all of Dahl is like that. And there are criminals and slums in every sector, even in the Imperial Sector and in Streeling.† â€Å"There are degrees, are there not? One is not ten. If all the worlds are crime-ridden, if all the sectors are crime-ridden, Dahl is among the worst, is it not? You have the computer. Check the statistics.† â€Å"I don't have to. Dahl is the poorest sector on Trantor and there is a positive correlation between poverty, misery, and crime. I grant you that.† â€Å"You grant me that! And you sent him alone? You might have gone with him, or asked me to go with him, or sent half a dozen of his schoolmates with him. They would have welcomed a respite from their work, I'm sure.† â€Å"What I need him for requires that he be alone.† â€Å"And what do you need him for?† But Seldon was stubbornly silent about that. Dors said, â€Å"Has it come to this? You don't trust me?† â€Å"It's a gamble. I alone dare take the risk. I can't involve you or anyone else.† â€Å"But it's not you taking the risk. It's poor Raych.† â€Å"He's not taking any risk,† said Seldon impatiently. â€Å"He's twenty years old, young and vigorous and as sturdy as a tree-and I don't mean the saplings we have here under glass on Trantor. I'm talking about a good solid tree in the Heliconian forests. And he's a twister, which the Dahlites aren't.† â€Å"You and your twisting,† said Dors, her coldness not thawing one whit. â€Å"You think that's the answer to everything. The Dahlites carry knives. Every one of them. Blasters, too, I'm sure.† â€Å"I don't know about blasters. The laws are pretty strict when it comes to blasters. As for knives, I'm positive Raych carries one. He even carries a knife on campus here, where it's strictly against the law. Do you think he won't have one in Dahl?† Dors remained silent. Seldon was also silent for a few minutes, then decided it might be time to placate her. He said, â€Å"Look, I'll tell you this much. I'm hoping he'll see Joranum, who will be visiting Dahl.† â€Å"Oh? And what do you expect Raych to do? Fill him with bitter regrets over his wicked politics and send him back to Mycogen?† â€Å"Come. Really. If you're going to take this sardonic attitude, there's no use discussing it.† He looked away from her, out the window at the blue-gray sky under the dome. â€Å"What I expect him to do†-and his voice faltered for a moment â€Å"is save the Empire.† â€Å"To be sure. That would be much easier.† Seldon's voice firmed. â€Å"It's what I expect. You have no solution. Demerzel himself has no solution. He as much as said that the solution rests with me. That's what I'm striving for and that's what I need Raych for in Dahl. After all, you know that ability of his to inspire affection. It worked with us and I'm convinced it will work with Joranum. If I am right, all may be well.† Dors's eyes widened a trifle. â€Å"Are you now going to tell me that you are being guided by psychohistory?† â€Å"No. I'm not going to lie to you. I have not reached the point where I can be guided in any way by psychohistory, but Yugo is constantly talking about intuition-and I have mine.† â€Å"Intuition! What's that? Define it!† â€Å"Easily. Intuition is the art, peculiar to the human mind, of working out the correct answer from data that is, in itself, incomplete or even, perhaps, misleading.† â€Å"And you've done it.† And Seldon said with firm conviction, â€Å"Yes, I have.† But to himself, he thought what he dared not share with Dors. What if Raych's charm were gone? Or, worse, what if the consciousness of being a Dahlite became too strong for him? 14 Billibotton was Billibotton-dirty, sprawling, dark, sinuous Billibotton-exuding decay and yet full of a vitality that Raych was convinced was to be found nowhere else on Trantor. Perhaps it was to be found nowhere else in the Empire, though Raych knew nothing, firsthand, of any world but Trantor. He had last seen Billibotton when he was not much more than twelve, but even the people seemed to be the same; still a mixture of the hangdog and the irreverent; filled with a synthetic pride and a grumbling resentment; the men marked by their dark rich mustaches and the women by their sacklike dresses that now looked tremendously slatternly to Raych's older and more worldly wise eyes. How could women with dresses like that attract men? But it was a foolish question. Even when he was twelve, he had had a pretty clear idea of how easily and quickly they could be removed. So he stood there, lost in thought and memory, passing along a street of store windows and trying to convince himself that he remembered this particular place or that and wondering if, among them all, there were people he did remember who were now eight years older. Those, perhaps, who had been his boyhood friends-and he thought uneasily of the fact that, while he remembered some of the nicknames they had pinned on each other, he could not remember any real names. In fact, the gaps in his memory were enormous. It was not that eight years was such a long time, but it was two fifths of the lifetime of a twenty-year-old and his life since leaving Billibotton had been so different that all before it had faded like a misty dream. But the smells were there. He stopped outside a bakery, low and dingy, and smelled the coconut icing that reeked through the air-that he had never quite smelled elsewhere. Even when he had stopped to buy tarts with coconut icing, even when they were advertised as â€Å"Dahl-style,† they had been faint imitations-no more. He felt strongly tempted. Well, why not? He had the credits and Dors was not there to wrinkle her nose and wonder aloud how clean-or, more likely, not clean-the place might be. Who worried about clean in the old days? The shop was dim and it took a while for Raych's eyes to acclimate. There were a few low tables in the place, with a couple of rather insubstantial chairs at each, undoubtedly where people might have a light repast, the equivalent of moka and tarts. A young man sat at one of the tables, an empty cup before him, wearing a once-white T-shirt that probably would have looked even dirtier in a better light. The baker or, in any case, a server stepped out from a room in the rear and said in a rather surly fashion, â€Å"What'll ya have?† â€Å"A coke-icer,† said Raych in just as surly a fashion (he would not be a Billibottoner if he displayed courtesy), using the slang term he remembered well from the old days. The term was still current, for the server handed him the correct item, using his bare fingers. The boy, Raych, would have taken that for granted, but now the man, Raych, felt taken slightly aback. â€Å"You want a bag?† â€Å"No,† said Raych, â€Å"I'll eat it here.† He paid the server and took the coke-icer from the other's hand and bit into its richness, his eyes half closing as he did so. It had been a rare treat in his boyhood-sometimes when he had scrounged the necessary credit to buy one with, sometimes when he had received a bite from a temporarily wealthy friend, most often when he had lifted one when nobody was watching. Now he could buy as many as he wished. â€Å"Hey,† said a voice. Raych opened his eyes. It was the man at the table, scowling at him. Raych said gently, â€Å"Are you speaking to me, bub?† â€Å"Yeah. What'chuh Join'?† â€Å"Eatin' a coke-icer. What's it to ya?† Automatically he had assumed the Billibotton way of talking. It was no strain at all. â€Å"What'chuh doin' in Billibotton?† â€Å"Born here. Raised here. In a bed. Not in a street, like you.† The insult came easily, as though he had never left home. â€Å"That so? You dress pretty good for a Billibottoner. Pretty fancy-dancy. Got a perfume stink about ya.† And he held up a little finger to imply effeminacy. â€Å"I won't talk about your stink. I went up in the world.† â€Å"Up in the world? La-dee-da. † Two other men stepped into the bakery. Raych frowned slightly, for he wasn't sure whether they had been summoned or not. The man at the table said to the newcomers, â€Å"This guy's gone up in the world. Says he's a Billibottoner.† One of the two newcomers shambled a mock salute and grinned with no appearance of amiability. His teeth were discolored. â€Å"Ain't that nice? It's always good to see a Billibottoner go up in the world. Gives 'em a chance to help their poor unfor'chnit sector people. Like, credits. You can always spare a credit or two for the poor, hey?† â€Å"How many you got, mister?† said the other, the grin disappearing. â€Å"Hey,† said the man behind the counter. â€Å"All you guys get out of my store. I don't want no trouble in here.† â€Å"There'll be no trouble,† said Raych. â€Å"I'm leaving.† He made to go, but the seated man put a leg in his way. â€Å"Don't go, pal. We'd miss yer company.† (The man behind the counter, clearly fearing the worst, disappeared into the rear.) Raych smiled. He said, â€Å"One time when I was in Billibotton, guys, I was with my old man and old lady and there were ten guys who stopped us. Ten. I counted them. We had to take care of them.† â€Å"Yeah?† said the one who had been speaking. â€Å"Yer old man took care of ten?† â€Å"My old man? Nah. He wouldn't waste his time. My old lady did. And I can do it better than she can. And there are only three of you. So, if you don't mind, out of the way.† â€Å"Sure. Just leave all your credits. Some of your clothes, too.† The man at the table rose to his feet. There was a knife in his hand. â€Å"There you are,† said Raych. â€Å"Now you're going to waste my time.† He had finished his coke-icer and he half-turned. Then, as quickly as thought, he anchored himself to the table, while his right leg shot out and the point of his toe landed unerringly in the groin of the man with the knife. Down he went with a loud cry. Up went the table, driving the second man toward the wall and keeping him there, while Raych's right arm flashed out, with the edge of the palm striking hard against the larynx of the third, who coughed and went down. It had taken two seconds and Raych now stood there with a knife in each hand and said, â€Å"Now which one of you wants to move?† They glared at him but remained frozen in place and Raych said, â€Å"In that case, I will now leave.† But the server, who had retreated to the back room, must have summoned help, for three more men had now entered the store, while the server screeched, â€Å"Troublemakers! Nothing but troublemakers!† The newcomers were dressed alike in what was obviously a uniform-but one that Raych had never seen. Trousers were tucked into boots, loose green T-shirts were belted, and odd semispherical hats that looked vaguely comic were perched on top of their heads. On the front of the left shoulder of each T-shirt were the letters Jo.** They had the Dahlite look about them but not quite the Dahlite mustache. The mustaches were black and thick, but they were carefully trimmed at lip level and were kept from luxuriating too widely. Raych allowed himself an internal sneer. They lacked the vigor of his own wild mustache, but he had to admit they looked neat and clean. The leader of these three men said, â€Å"I'm Corporal Quinber. What's been going on here?† The defeated Billibottoners were scrambling to their feet, clearly the worse for wear. One was still doubled over, one was rubbing his throat, and the third acted as though one of his shoulders had been wrenched. The corporal stared at them with a philosophic eye, while his two men blocked the door. He turned to Raych-the one man who seemed untouched. â€Å"Are you a Billibottoner, boy?† â€Å"Born and bred, but I've lived elsewhere for eight years.† He let the Billibotton accent recede, but it was still there, at least to the extent that it existed in the corporal's speech as well. There were other parts of Dahl aside from Billibotton and some parts with considerable aspirations to gentility. Raych said, â€Å"Are you security officers? I don't seem to recall the uniform you're-â€Å" â€Å"We're not security officers. You won't find security officers in Billibotton much. We're the Joranum Guard and we keep the peace here. We know these three and they've been warned. We'll take care of them. You're our problem, buster. Name. Reference number.† Raych told them. â€Å"And what happened here?† Raych told them. â€Å"And your business here?† Raych said, â€Å"Look here. Do you have the right to question me? If you're not security officers-â€Å" â€Å"Listen,† said the corporal in a hard voice, â€Å"don't you question rights. We're all there is in Billibotton and we have the right because we take the right. You say you beat up these three men and I believe you. But you won't beat us up. We're not allowed to carry blasters-† And with that, the corporal slowly pulled out a blaster. â€Å"Now tell me your business here.† Raych sighed. If he had gone directly to a sector hall, as he should have done-if he had not stopped to drown himself in nostalgia for Billibotton and coke-icers- He said, â€Å"I have come on important business to see Mr. Joranum, and since you seem to be part of his organi-â€Å" â€Å"To see the leader?† â€Å"Yes, Corporal.† â€Å"With two knives on you?† â€Å"For self-defense. I wasn't going to have them on me when I saw Mr. Joranum.† â€Å"So you say. We're taking you into custody, mister. We'll get to the bottom of this. It may take time, but we will.† â€Å"But you don't have the right. You're not the legally const-â€Å" â€Å"Well, find someone to complain to. Till then, you're ours.† And the knives were confiscated and Raych was taken into custody.

LLM Personal Statement

Dear Sir: Early in life, I knew that I would become a successful lawyer. When I was a child, I had a picture of myself reading â€Å"The Little Book of Lawyers†. The book is a simple introduction to law that was written to make it easy for a young reader to understand. At an early age, I always wanted to know how to defend myself and my family from injustice. My passion for the study of law grew when the landlord of the home where I lived with my parents, served us an eviction order. As a result of our problem, I started studying Lease Law when I was in high school to determine if our lawyer was pursuing our case correctly. Fortunately, we won the case and this inspired me to begin my law study at the Università   Statale di Milano. After completing my law studies, I commenced my training experience in the law firm of the lawyer who assisted my family in the eviction procedure. I have regarded him as a meticulous mentor who has provided me with vast knowledge, exposure and experience and trained me to work in an orderly, precise and professional manner. After almost two years of law practice, I have confirmed a strong desire to specialize in International Law.   My love for International Law started when I was at the University where I studied under the tutelage of great professors such as Fausto Pocar and Tullio Treves. To have a better grasp of International Law, I decided to work at Clifford Chance LLP, a firm known to have a very strong international network. It has been almost four years now since I began my law practice at Clifford Chance (CC).   Since Clifford Chance had offices in various countries, I gained a lot of experience while working with colleagues in other CC international offices. I am usually assigned to work with colleagues from the London headquarters and the New York offices but I am often given the opportunity to work with other offices, e.g. Germany and Spain. As I deal with various cases, I learn to understand the importance of International Law.   I was astonished by the incredible ways various jurisdictions intertwined together and how the rules of every country combined in a unique entity in order to allow parties to have business relationships all around the world. Nowadays, the world is a very small place due to globalization and the advancement of technology. Even the smallest business has to deal with customers from different countries in order to be competitive. In my practice, I have encountered questions, e.g. what happens when an agreement is ruled by a law different from the country where the party in default lives? How can I enforce a judgment issued in Italy if the debtor is in Portugal? What happens when a company in Russia has to deal with a debtor who was declared bankrupt in Italy? The above are few of the problems that a good international lawyer has to deal with.   These are not easy issues and a lawyer has to study and work a lot and have good teachers in order to know how to handle them correctly. At Clifford Chance, I had the opportunity to work on very big and important issues. We dealt with the bankruptcy of one of the main companies in our country. This company has subsidiaries all over the world, has business relationship with different countries, and has issued bonds on the market. Although the international issues were complicated, dealing with the problem was extremely interesting as I worked together with highly qualified professionals who helped me understand the complexities of every issue. My passion to specialize in International Law has strengthened my desire to further my studies and pursue LLM in International Business and Trade Law.   I have always been focused in the pursuit of my career and my studies and work performance will attest that I have been a meticulous scholar, and a result driven lawyer.   As I always believe that we should always strive for excellence, I tend to work in a precise manner so I can achieve the best result. This is something that I have learned in my work experience. I believe in the saying that if you want to be a good professional, you have to think that you must become the best professional. It is only in aiming high that you can reach the higher points of knowledge, professionalism and skills. I hope that you will grant my application to pursue my studies in (write the name of the university). I strongly believe that pursuing the LLM International Business and Trade Law program will allow me to grain a solid knowledge and exposure on issues related to international law that will lead me to become a skilled professional in this field of study. Thank you very much. Very truly yours, Aaron Ghirardelli

British Patrol

British Patrol started way back in 1908 (Yergin 18). Its commencement was marked when oil was found in Persia in a very rugged place after seven years of intensive oil search. The Company had invested a lot of fortunes into this search and this almost ended up in failure. This oil was found in the field of Naphtha. British Patrol has grown over the years from a local oil company to an international energy group. Its operations run over a hundred countries and it has an employment capacity of eighty thousand people (Yergin 20).It is ranked as the fourth largest company in the world and it is the largest corporation in the United Kingdom. This paper explains how the British Patrol created a global brand name and how their partnership with Amaco, Castrol acquisition and Aral acquisition affected the process of creation of the global brand name (Corbett 80). It also explains the issues and the challenges that BP faced as well as the problems encountered. Who is BP? BP is a British energy company that is global. It is the third largest energy company in the world. Its headquarters are in St James’s, City in London.It is mainly engaged in oil exploration and in the marketing of petroleum and of natural gas (Ellis 93). The roots of BP date back to 1901 when the Shah of Iran granted William Knox a concession to search for oil. He searched for seven good years and found oil in 1908 (Yergin 67). This discovery gained commercial importance in April 1909 when the Anglo Persian Oil Company (APOC) started to exploit the rugged deposit of oil discovered by William Knox. In 1935, it was known as the Anglo Iranian Oil Company. This became the British Petroleum Company in 1954 (Ellis 67). Activities of BPThe company expanded to Alaska in 1959. It struck oil in the North Sea in 1965. it also acquired control over Standard oil of Ohio. It operated in Iran until the Islamic revolution in 1979. The regime of Ayatollah Khomeini confiscated all the assets of BP and it closed do wn. It was not compensated for the loss (Yergin 67). BP was led by Sir Peter Walters between 1981 and 1990. when Robert Horton took over he did a major downsizing in the company. Under his jurisdiction, BP bought many stations in South Eastern US. Lord Browne became the managing director in 1995 (Ellis 79).The companies acquired Amoco, ARCO and Burma Castro under his jurisdiction. Strategies employed by BP One of the leading strategies that BP uses is the acquisition of leading oil companies and getting into partnership with them. This is well exhibited in the acquisition of Amaco, Castrol and Aral. For example in the case of Amaco in December 1998 after merging, it was known as Amaco BP. It was then renamed BP (Beyond Petroleum) in 2000. Most Amoco stations in the US was renamed to the brand name BP (Yergin 89). It used the strategy of selling the gasoline from Amaco under the name Amoco.The reason they did not change the name was that for the previous sixteen years Amoco’s gasoline had been rated as the best gasoline. This was there fore a marketing strategy that further saw the company’s image being boosted. They then changed the name to Amoco ultimate. They then improved their brand (Corbett 45). They also use the strategy of ensuring their products are quality products. The quality of a product always attracts and maintains the loyalty of the customers. Quality of the leaders has also to a great extent enabled the company to create a brand name.A closer look at their history leaders or managing directors is chosen from the management team. This allows the continuation of the activities of the organization without delay. An example is Lord Browne who was in the board. It also uses the strategy of owning reserves in most regions where oil is found. For example in Russia, they own fifty percent. They are also planning to expand into further regions. Challenges and problems encountered Some of the challenges encountered were the confiscation of the company’s assets by the government. This was in 1979 and it resulted into a major loss for the company.Another major challenge has been the occurrence of accidents such as explosions (Yergin 89). These have led to massive losses. An example is the explosion that occurred in the company’s Texas City refinery. This led to a massive loss of oil as well as to fatal injuries and deaths that cost the company a lot of money as compensation to the families affected (Ellis 90). This also led to lawsuits being filled against the company. Leaking wells are also a challenge to the company. It sometimes has to close these wells as it did in 2006 when it closed its twelve wells.The company also faces the challenge of recovering its self-image from the explosions that are fatal and they occur out of negligence from the company (Yergin 90). This affects the customer’s attitude towards the company. The company has to build confidence in the eyes of these customers and it is an uphill task. Conclusion BP has grown into one of the leading corporations from its humble beginnings. This has been through employment of various strategies such as acquisitions and mergers. This has also been necessitated by the ability to keep their products at a very high quality thus creating loyalty among the workers.It has also expanded into other regions thus acquiring the larger markets. However, there have been challenges that the company has faced and it has had to combat the challenges and problems to remain at the top. References Corbett Michael. The outsourcing revolution: Why it makes sense and how to do it, right. London: Kaplan Publishing, 2004. Ellis Charles. The partnership: the making of Goldman Sachs. London: Penguin Press, 2008. Yergin Daniel. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.

Why do many organizations fail to prove that traning has been a Essay

Why do many organizations fail to prove that traning has been a worthwhile business investment how might they go about doing this - Essay Example Indeed, employees perform better when they are happy (Philips, Jack, Patricia 2012, p. 39). Staff training is an essential and necessary step for specific reasons related to a business organization. On job training gives employees the chance to describe the broad knowledge that they had acquired during their early education with the specific needs of the organization (Bersin 2008, p.24). When workers are sure of their performance as acceptable to the management and organization needs they tend to feel important and happy with the business since they get satisfied with the result. There is always a direct connection between having happy workers and improving profit in all business organizations. Any organization that allows its employees to shoot hoops during work hours always leave clients with a lot of suspicions ( Price 2011, p. 24). Making the work environment, a bit tension that is constant has brought productivity in some organizations. Most workers leave their jobs in search of other position citing lack of skills training and development as their principal reason (B ebenroth 2015, p. 48). These movements of employees have a considerable impact on organization functioning as new employees have to be sought for replacement thus throwing the little experience that had been gained by the earlier workers to waste (Combs Davis 2010 p.55). Those that remain will be forced to double or even triple their effort to cover the gap. Workers morale will be affected in the process. Training by the organization can quickly take away the feeling of dissatisfaction thus making workers stay longer in their positions thus reducing the cost of turnover that cause slipping of business turnover (Bersin 2008, p.33). Though the initial cost of training may be high and discouraging, the benefits that the company stands to gain are much higher. Training of employees helps the

Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers - Essay Example These versions include The Story of the Black Cow, Donkeyskin by Charles Perrault and the recent Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers. The stories share certain similarities in terms of the plots, where there is an ill motive from one of the parents of the offspring, and they have to run away or endure suffering as a result. The protagonists later find love and their suffering ends. In The story of The Black Cow, the young boy has to run away from his stepmother who mistreats him but favors her daughter. In the story of Donkeyskin, the princess, who is nicknamed Donkeyskin, also has to run away from the father because he believes she is supposed to be his wife. The father is trying to fulfill his late wife’s dying wishes that he should marry a woman who is wiser and more beautiful than her. The plot in Cinderella also portrays the same theme where the girl is facing a lot of hostility from the stepmother. However, she does not have the choice of running away like the characters in the other two tales. The stories also show a lot of magical happenings. In The Story of The Black Cow, there is a cow that can talk with the boy and magically produce sweets by stomping her feet on the ground. Also, there is a snake that is supposedly holding the universe together. The snake is pleased with the cow’s action of feeding him with milk and grants the cow a wish. The cow asks the snake to cover the boy with golden clothes and make his body shine like gold, and the snake makes it happen. In the case of Donkeyskin, there is a donkey that produces gold coins instead of dung while Cinderella gets her carriage from a pumpkin and horses from mice with the help of her fairy godmother. These gifts make the characters unique from the rest, for instance the ring that only fits on Donkeyskin’s finger, the golden slipper that only fits

The importance of derived demand in B2B marketing Essay

The importance of derived demand in B2B marketing - Essay Example In terms of technology, the company has established the need of aligning the company with emerging technologies. Additionally, the company considers Loyalty of each client paramount and in doing this, looks for ways how to be loyal to customers. The report explores much on marketing strategies that helps organization to concentrate on the greatest opportunities to increase their earnings and attain a sustainable competitive advantage. Many companies adopt the need of having marketing strategies in running their businesses centered on shopper, consumer and retailer need. Due to stiff competition, the company has taken a lot of time to evaluate opportunities that would enhance success. The purpose of this has been to evaluate companies of the same nature and assemble them to offset the marketing program. The company has established that it is from consumer’s needs that their productivity is informed and achieves a notable growth. Introduction Business to Business popularly known as B2B is a commercial transaction that occurs between two businesses as in the example of a manufacturer and a wholesaler (Block & Block, 2005) . The term was coined with the main purpose being to differentiate between electronic communication that was taking place between businesses and consumers. The term has been used mostly to describe the business transactions that take place between two businesses in an online scenario. Therefore, B2B marketing mostly involves sending and receiving mails plus other activities that take place in the online environment. This report seeks to explore the concept of derived demand and B2B marketing. Objectives The main objectives of this paper are to find out how a company (SolidWorks in this case) that is involved in B2B marketing: 1. Estimates derived demands 2. Evaluates business segmentation opportunities 3. Develops a new channel strategy that is aligned to one business segment About SolidWorks SolidWorks is a software engineering (CAD softw ares) which mostly sold to mechanical engineers (Brennan, 2011). The company engages so much in marketing activities by use of links that lead people to their site where they have advertised their products. Derived Demand and B2B marketing Derived demand in marketing term can be defined as the requirement that comes up as a result of purchasing another product. This mostly occurs in cases where the consumer has bought the product with the main purpose being to use it for purposes of production (Bruhn, 2003). The main reason for this is that the purchase of these products is normally due to desire to have their final products. In the case of the software manufacturing company Solidworks, there are a number of ways in which it determines the derived demand in which it decides to respond. All the demand in B2B chain are as result demands that are made somewhere by the consumer. SolidWorks being a software development company relies on engineers who want to design either bridges, houses or other building designs that the consumer has demanded for (Christopher & Ballantyne, 2002). However, the value chain is still incomplete because the consumer sought the services of the mechanical engineer and the engineer sought the service of a software developer who in turn sought the service of the person who developed the programming language. The position that the company is in the chain of value addition determines the contact that it has with the consumer (Bernadson & Toole, 2007). The

The processing of applications at the VEC Assignment

The processing of applications at the VEC - Assignment Example The number of people involved in processing an application CT ? Processing period (35?5.71=6). Each application is processed by 6 people. 4. Throughput efficiency = Work content * 100 ------------------- Throughput time Therefore, throughput efficiency is 200?35?100= 571,2 % b) The problem with the process is that it takes a long period to process the application forms. The VEC is comprised of three ‘checkers’ with three support staff, a pool of twelve clerks who are responsible for data entry/filing and ten auditors (who prepare and issue the grant approval documentation. From these figures, it can be seen that the number of checkers is small since they may not be able to cope with the pressure in processing the number of the forms received. The number of checkers should be increased so as to make sure that the processing time for the forms is speeded up. The other problem is that all the applications that arrive at the VEC are placed in an in-tray. One of the eight cle rks opens the applications that are then put in an in-tray pending collection by the coding staff. The coding clerks are only two and this may be difficult for them to cope with the large number of files that may need to be processed at a given period. These applications are only processed further when a checker becomes available. This is where the major problem lies. If the checker is not available, then it means that there is no work being done. As noted, in each section, the clerical, coding, checkers, secretarial and auditors have incoming work but at one stage, the applications are not promptly dealt with. In some instances, they can only be checked if the checkers become available. The other issue that affects the processing is that only files from the bottom are processed first. This may result in some files staying for a long period in the trays since they are just placed there without proper order. Once the file has been placed in the incoming tray, it should be processed p romptly and moved to the next stage rather than keeping it in the tray. c) In order to improve the process, it is essential to make sure that each department is staffed with an equal number of people to process the applications. For instance, the number of clerks should be equivalent to the number of coding staff. This is meant to ensure that pressure does not mount on an individual person responsible for checking or vetting the forms to make sure that there are no mistakes. It is also important for the processors of the applications to adopt a line strategy where the forms move from one point to the next point along the processing line. Once the form has been checked, it should move up to the net person for further processing and verification. The form should not be put back in the incoming tray since this cause a mix up in the processed and unprocessed forms. Effort should be put in order to ensure that each processed form from the bottom line moves to the top in their chronologic al order. This helps the staff members to make sure that there is no duplication of duties where the processed form is put back in the incoming tray. Once all the forms have been verified, they should be passed to the auditors who will make sure that all the information on the forms is correct. These forms will then need to be passed to the dispatchers who will do the final verification of the forms. In order to ensure that the process flows smoothly, there must be additional staff members responsible for handling complaints only. This is meant to ensure that all the queries are dealt with by the right person. If the tasks are clearly spelled such that each person is aware of his or her duties, it becomes easy to eliminate all the impediments that can slow the process. In this case, the linear strategy of processing the

Contract provision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contract provision - Essay Example The above-named Client (hereinafter referred to as "Client") is engaging Span Systems as an independent contractor for the specific purpose of designing software, herein after referred to as "Software Design Project", to be published on the Client's account on an Internet Service Provider (ISP)/Web Presence Provider (WPP) computer, herein, or provided on disc at the Client's option. The Client hereby authorizes Span Systems to access this account, and authorizes the Hosting Service to provide Span Systems and its designer, Fawaz, with "full access" to the Client's account, and any other programs needed for this project that are included as part of the Client's service agreement/level.Compatibility - Designing a program to fully work in multiple browsers (and browser versions) can require considerable, extra effort. It could also involve creating multiple versions of code/pages. Span Systems represents and warrants that the web site we design for you will work in:While Span Systems wi ll make reasonable efforts to design a fully-functional program, our warranty does not cover programs other than those mentioned above or requested special effects that we have advised you against.4.a This contract shall cover the expectation of the completion of terms on a ninety day basis. This contract does not guarantee that the contract will be completed, but rather that the terms will be revisited and renewed upon consent of all parties.

Healthcare project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Healthcare project management - Essay Example includes a plan of the Hospital will include working with the community in developing and maintaining a project that will decrease the numbers of teens presently using marijuana. The outcomes of the project will include a decrease in the total number of students using marijuana and a decrease in the amount of violence in school. This will be measured by the overall numbers as captured by the school. The health department will supply general community outcomes data while data retrieved from the school will complete other aspects of the data. The scope of the project will begin with the community that is presently served by the South Brisbane Community Hospital. This will be done through awareness and through accessibility of present programs as well as providing workshops for both teens and their parents in a collaborative effort between the school, health department, and the hospital. When data shows improvement, the program will be extended to the country level and then the state level as appropriate. The objectives of this program will be to provide education and information on the dangers of marijuana use in high school and the violence that it creates in an effort to help these students better understand. It will also provide essential information for parents and other caregivers in understanding the ramifications of use. This project is measureable. Success will be shown by a decrease in the numbers of students using marijuana and in the amount of violent occasions that take place in school. This data will kept monthly, analyzed every six months and reported yearly. The local community has an increasing problem with the use of marijuana by teens in the area. Studies show that violence in schools is directly related to the amount of illicit drug use that happens at the local schools (Cohen, Lowry, and Modzeleski, 2009). There is a lack of awareness of the dangers of marijuana use and presently, it is difficult to access information that is being given